After Thoughts and Reflections
by Technophobia678
Summary: ROTF spoilers. Bumblebee is tired and wants to recharge, but his friends and thoughts won't let him. Stupid title and summary but it's basically Bumblebee's thoughts after ROTF


Bumblebee was aggrieved. Tired, aching and just plain irritated.

Transformers were quite similar to humans despite what the other species thought or believed at first. They felt the same emotions, fear, excitement, sadness, pain. They had systems that performed the same functions as the biological ones humans required to live and survive. His lack of communication through sound was due to his badly damaged vocal processors. All Transformers had their own personalities and oddities.

Bumblebee's own personality was a source of fascination to his comrades; he was forever positive. Always cheerful and optimistic he was never put down for long. Even his lack of vocal communication didn't down his spirits for long. He could get angry, sad be downright miserable when he wanted too, but Bumblebee preferred his cheerful and inquisitive nature. It kept him happy and helped his friends get out of moods.

But he was at the end of patience now and couldn't bring himself to care. He was _tired_. He hadn't had a proper recharge in over five human days. He had lasted for longer without one before, but after everything he and his friends had been through he just wanted a little piece and blessed silence.

Unfortunately the fellow Autobots and human comrades were making this incredibly difficult.

Bumblebee couldn't blame them. The past week had been damaging and draining and most were still recovering from the shock of battle. His fellow Autobots were currently hanging around dreading the compulsory examination under Ratchet's insistence. The medical bot was infamous for been truly terrifying if anyone dared to defy his orders. Even Optimus chose to avoid the med bot when in a bad mood. Though it hadn't stopped him from going off and visiting Sam. Bumblebee wished he could see his human friend, one of his best friends in the entire explored universe, but he hadn't seen Ratchet yet and unfortunately he knew better than try and escape.

Waiting with him was Ironhide, Sideswipe, one of the three parts that made up Arcee and the Twins, Mudflap and Skids. The Twins were the main cause of Bumblebee's irritation. He had spent the entire time on the run protecting Sam, Mikaela, Sam's annoying roommate Leo and the monologing slag pit former agent Simmons with the two and consequently had more than enough of them.

He was a little unfair, he knew. The Twins, while inexperienced and hyperactive, had been good companions and fighters. The annoyance had been with their attitudes and slang they learned from the Internet. Also the fact they would pick a fight with anyone, him, Sam, Simmons, Leo especially and then themselves. It was very wearing on a bots cerebral processor.

It had also been logical, having the two with him. Ironhide and Ratchet had shared leadership during Optimus's stasis lock. Pairing the Twins with Arcee had been proven a bad idea in the fight at Shanghai; the Twins were slower than the swift femme bot and pairing them together meant she could utilise her speed skills efficiently. And as for pairing them with Sideswipe....the less said the better. The Twins even tested the patience of Ratchet and neither he nor Ironhide could manage the two in such critical situations. And so the control of the Twins had fallen to Bumblebee.

Bumblebee understood this, he did, but he was exhausted from his leadership of the troublesome duo. He had new appreciation for Optimus's leadership; the bot had the patience, experience and strength to be the leader of the Autobots and Bumblebee had no desire to step into his role as a leader. Being temporary one for only two Autobots had been more than enough and he hadn't even really been in command then anyway, Sam had. The boy was a true leader, even though he wasn't aware of it.

Bumblebee's Spark chamber tightened as the memory of how close Sam had come to dying crossed his mind. The boy was his best friend and he vowed to protect him. Humans' lives were far shorter and fleeting than Transformers, but it had been an awful feeling, seeing him lie supposedly dead in the battle of Egypt. He cared for Sam deeply and Mikaela too. The knowledge that they would die within the century was saddening and he always brushed it aside, determined to enjoy all the time he had with his two close human companions.

His thoughts were not the only things keeping him from trying to recharge. The antics from his friends were the main reason.

"If they continue with their recounting of the battle they fought, by Primus, I shall throw them off this vessel" Sideswipe complained to Ironhide, in a thoroughly bad temper.

Ironhide grunted, clearly not against the notion.

"They are young and inexperienced" Arcee cycled her vents tiredly; she was just as annoyed but tried to be reasonable. "All bots are like that at first; it will wear off."

"You know full well it won't Arc; they are always like this" there was a low rumble from the irritated bot.

"So stop moaning about it" Arcee said crossly. "You sound just like them."

Sideswipe made a noise like a human splutter of indignation. "I do not!"

Bumblebee cycled his vents wearily, a bots way of sighing. He honestly didn't know what he wanted; for Ratchet to repair him and get him out of this or just go off and recharge for three Earth days. The latter was desperately appealing.

"Why don't you both silence your vocal processors?" Ironhide said irritably, also unable to recharge. "Before I shove my cannons up your afts and..."

"Alright, alright" Sideswipe grumbled. Apparently unable to help himself he began again "but why you can't aim your cannons at their vocal processors is beyond me."

Annoyed, Bumblebee let out a warning grumble. Sideswipe instantly realised who was in aural range and looked embarrassed.

Ironhide cycled his vents and shifted slightly. It struck Bumblebee suddenly that the veteran Autobot was very old, thousands of years older than himself. Not that that was something, Bumblebee was one of the youngest Transformers still alive today, though the Twins had taken the undesired title as the youngest mechs on Earth. It saddened him to think that the gruff trigger happy mech was perhaps becoming too old to fight this never ending battle. Not that the stubborn bucket of bolts would ever admit it.

"Alright dudes?" Epps the Sergeant from Major Lennox's command and good friend of the Autobots appeared, looking rather worse for wear but alive and functioning. Tagging along was a British soldier that worked with them for several months, sergeant Darkins.

"_Alive and kickin'_" Bumblebee offered from his stereo, not bothering to move. Epps grinned and carefully leaned against the wall of the large container on the deck of the warship. The Sergeant looked better after changing his clothes and showering to rid himself of the sand and dust and shell damage, though he had several white bandages livid against his dark epidermis. Darkens was similarly attired.

"Greetings Sergeant Epps" Ironhide rumbled, focusing an optic on the two soldiers. "And Sergeant Darkins. I hope you did not suffer any permanent damage?"

"We're good big guy" Epps assured him, grinning. "How are you lot doin'?"

"Damaged, but nothing serious" Ironhide proclaimed gruffly. "I do not truly require attention however 'Hatchet' has deemed otherwise."

Epps grinned and Darkins looked amused. Having been with them longer, Epps was more at ease with the towering Autobots than the British soldier.

"My parts are damaged, but my partner parts are in urgent need of repair" Arcee cycled her vents wearily; the femme in greater need of repair than the other mechs. Epps patted her pink plating in solidarity.

"Hey, look who it is!" Breaking off from their sibling bickering, Skids had spotted the soldiers. "What up!"

"Hey Skids, Mudflap, ya'll right?" Epps greeted the two easily.

"Hey dude, whas up?" Mudflap chimed in, peering downward at the two.

"Chillin' dudes" Epps smiled, apparently not affected by their mannerisms or enthusiasm. "How ya doin'?"

"We're good" Skids said cheerfully. "You?"

"We kicked some major Decepticon ass and we're here in one piece" Epps said flippantly. "I think we're good."

"We whupped some punk ass 'Con slag" Mudflap said proudly, spinning in a high speed circle. Sideswipe grumbled but Bumblebee's aural processors couldn't catch it.

"Yeah some punk ass slag pit tried to suck us up its fragging mouth, the glitch" Mudflap said with feeling.

"Devastator" Ironhide rumbled, sounding disgusted. Bumblebee shuddered; the mammoth Decepticon was very difficult to fight, very strong and very _big_.

"Whatcha talkin' about fool? It did suck you up you stupid genius" Skids snapped at his twin.

"Who you callin' a fool, fool?" Mudflap was instantly in his twins face. Bumblebee cycled his vents in weariness. _Not this again...._

"I'm lookin' at the fool, fool!" Skids snapped, firing up.

"Will they never stop?" Sideswipe moaned at the sky. Epps and Darkins were watching the Twins, Epps looking rather amused, Darkins more cautiously so.

Skids pushed Mudflap. Mudflap responded, shoving his twin hard. Skids pounced on Mudflap and the two fell onto the deck, wrestling furiously. The two soldiers backed away closer to Ironhide who would readily train his cannons on the pair if they landed on him. But he didn't need to.

Because they chose to accidently slam into Bumblebee instead. The older Autobot had been sitting leaning against a container when one of Mudflap's legs caught the unprepared bot in the side of the head, knocking him over and landing him into the tangle of metal.

_Alright,_ Bumblebee seethed, _I've had enough._

Painful joints and protesting circuits strained upwards. Within the uncontrolled tumble, his legs found the deck and pushed upwards, while his hands located the wiggling twins. With a chirrup of triumph from his damaged vocal processors, Bumblebee found himself upright and gripping the two miscreants by what humans would call the scruff of the neck. With ruthless pleasure he smashed their heads together, feeling the same detached pleasure he had gotten when ejecting the two from the place of the Primes burial place. It was too bad there was nowhere he could chuck them this time, though throwing them overboard or towards Earth's moon were both appealing. He compromised by letting them crash back onto the deck.

"_I don't like your manners_" he announced evenly from his radio in the voice of a female actress from some random movie to the struggling and grumbling pair at his feet.

Turning he found himself under astonished scrutiny of Autobots and humans alike.

"_To hell with this_" his radio declared for him and he transformed into his alt form, ignoring squeaks of discomfort. To hell with Ratchet, he was exhausted. He and Ironhide owed him anyway.

His engine purred into life and he cruised off, looking for Sam and Mikeala ignoring the astonished laughter behind him. An icon appeared in his optics; Ironhide, requesting a discussion. Reluctantly, Bumblebee uplinked with him.

_An interesting way of silencing the two, _Ironhide said without preamble.

_I learnt it over the course of the week. Effective, for a little while._

_You realise Ratchet will lose his bolts over you leaving, hmm, young one?"_

_I'm not exactly young anymore you know._

_You are to me._

_You're just old._

There was a low rumble from Ironhide's end and exhausted or not, Bumblebee knew better than pushing it and hurriedly continued. _Besides, I'm exhausted; I haven't recharged properly in five days. Anyway Ratchet owes me. _He paused. _You _both_ owe me._

_A leader's job is to delegate tasks and it is a soldier's job to follow them. _Ironhide sounded amused.

_Spending five days in charge of the Twins on my own goes beyond the call of duty _sir.

There was a low rumble of laughter and Ironhide's voice softened slightly.

_Go on then, youngling, recharge. I'll inform 'Hatchet' and remind him of the last time you took revenge against him._

_He deserved it _Bumblebee said indignantly. _He messed with my recharging area on the Ark and let it play historical background on the region we were in. I had to listen to it for days! Just because I missed a checkup. One!_

_And that is why it is easier to just give in to the Hatchet. We have all learned that; myself painfully when he removed my cannons and wouldn't give them to me for a week when I forced to go by Prime in the end._

_He didn't _Bumblebee laughed; releasing a series of clicks and whirrs.

_He did _Ironhide grumbled. _And he never lets me forget it._

_I'll keep that in mind _still chuckling Bumblebee added _thanks 'Hide._

_For what its' worth Bumblebee, you did a fine job._ With a slight blip, Ironhide signed off leaving an astonished 'Bee. It was rare Ironhide would give compliments. A little happier, Bumblebee scanned the deck.

In micro seconds, Bumblebee identified Sam's and Mikeala's position; they were together which was good, he wished to see both and did not want to split time up to find both. Beside Sam was Optimus, something that made 'Bee shrink slightly on his wheels, but he continued onwards.

The loss of his fallen leader had been a hard blow. Bumblebee had a deep respect and affection for his leader and to lose his friend mentor and leader had been horrible. Then when Sam came up with the idea of trying to save Optimus, he had jumped at the chance, eager and hopeful it would work. It had and though delighted, Bumblebee felt oddly uncomfortable in his leader's presence.

Within moments he had reached optic sight of his companions. Sam and Optimus were standing at the end of the deck, arms by their stands and just staring out at the ocean they were crossing. Though completely different, the two struck a very impressive pose together, standing against the horizon.

Bumblebee quietly made his way over to Mikaela, who was talking quietly with Major Lennox while glancing occasionally at Sam and Optimus. The two were several metres behind Sam and Optimus, reminiscing and debating.

"_Hey baby" _Bumblebee played from the stereo as he got within human hearing and sight distance.

"Bee!" she grinned widely. "Are you ok? Did Ratchet check you over?" suddenly suspicious, eyeing his body plating.

Bumblebee waved his windscreen wipers sheepishly. "_Uh yeah....about that hehehe_."

Mikaela sighed exasperatedly and Lennox chuckled.

"I take it you don't like doctors either, huh?" the soldier asked smiling.

"_I'll stay alive_" Bee played from a song he recognised from the movie Men in Black two. The alien life forms in it had been pathetic. "_As long as I know how to love, I'll know I'll stay alive...."_

"Reassuring" Mikaela rolled her eyes, but spoiled it by patting his hood gently. "Ratchet will blow a gasket."

"I didn't now you could do poetry" Lennox chuckled at the look Mikaela gave him.

"_I'll ride the storm_" Bumblebee assured her. Then to soften her he added _"I missed you....and nobody needs to know....."_

Mikaela softened at that but chuckled wryly. "Miss me, huh? More like you missed Sam."

Bumblebee nudged her gently with his bumper and she smiled and rubbed her hand against his hood.

Lennox yawned hugely and stretched, wincing. "Listen I'm gonna hit the rack. I'll see you and Sam tomorrow." He paused and smiled at her. "Thanks for calling us out today. You did good." He smirked crookedly. "Even if it was in a desert."

Mikaela laughed and waved goodbye as Lennox called goodnights to Optimus and Sam, causing the two to turn. In doing so, Sam spotted Bumblebee.

"Bee!" he shouted and started coming over in a fast limping walk. Bumblebee watched him carefully; afraid he might fall with his staggering uneven gait. If he had to guess, Sam had been given those chemical pills 'pain killers' to help his injuries. Bumblebee regarded those things with wariness; he had discovered humans and other mammals reacted strangely to the influence of these pain killers. Sam's house pet Mojo was an example of this, as was Sam himself after recovering from the battle of Mission City. The boy had sprouted nonsense for hours. He had expressed concerns to Ratchet about this who after research assured him that the effects were temporary provided the correct dosage was applied. Bumblebee had trained his optics very carefully on Sam during the time he was required to take the pills.

"Hey Bee, you ok?" Sam asked in concern.

Bumblebee responded by blasting his stereo. "**_I get knocked down. But I get up again; you're never going to keep me down, I get knocked down but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down....._**

Wincing, Mikaela clamped her hands to her ears. Sam did the same, before waving his hands. A little embarrassed, Bumblebee powered down the stereo.

"Ratchet is not happy old friend" Optimus had joined the small group. "I believe he is threatening to reduce you to your basic components when he gets hold of you."

Bumblebee whined and revved his engine. Chuckling, Optimus requested an uplink, which Bumblebee hurriedly accepted, not replying to Ratchet's persistent request.

_I'm glad you returned Optimus._

_As am I, old friend. _Optimus's tone was warm, though held a hint of weariness._ Though I believe you all would have adapted to my loss nevertheless._

Bumblebee let out an electronic snort. _I was losing my processors within the first day. I am very glad you are back. I don't believe any of us could hope to fill your role._

_You underestimate yourself Bumblebee. You did an admiral job from the little I heard. Speaking of, are you ready to uplink your report._

_Stand by._

During the wait for Ratchet, the Autobots had prepared their reports for the newly resurrected Prime. With a small electronic output the report was downloaded into Optimus's processors, informing him of Bumblebee's perspective of the last week: the flight from authorities, encountering Simmons and Wheelie, Jetfire and his knowledge, the Prime's resting place and his own role in the accompanying battle.

Talking in Cybertronian was much faster than human speech and even then, they were not truly talking, more like communicating over uplinks to the others communication devices. It meant Bumblebee could communicate with his fellows, much to his pleasure.

_You have been busy my friend, _Optimus commented in quiet surprise as he reviewed the data and images flashing past his optics. _Well commended Bumblebee. You did a fine job._

Bumblebee felt a little embarrassed. _Just doing what I had to._

_And you did it well. Thank you Bumblebee._

In English, Optimus addressed the two teens as well as Bumblebee. "Bumblebee and I are in no immediate damage and are in desperate need of a recharge. Judging from you both, I could surmise you are in need of one as well."

"Uh, yeah we do" Mikaela smiled. During the Autobots brief conversation, she had wrapped an arm around Sam who was a little too dependant on it to remain upright for Bumblebee's liking.

With a quiet click, Bumblebee swung his doors open. Sam understood at once. After everything that happened, Bumblebee wished they remain together.

"Let's just stay in 'Bee" Sam said to Mikaela, catching hold of the door and leaning against it for support.

Mikaela looked dubious. "We do have quarters inside."

"Its fine in here" Sam insisted. Obligingly, Bumblebee lowered the front seats to make a bed of sorts for the two and lowered the hand brake out of existence. Mikaela hesitated and nodded before slipping into the Camaro. Sam followed suit and the two struggled to get comfortable, lying on their sides facing each other, cuddling into each other. With a small noise, Optimus preceded to transform into his eighteen wheeler mode, being more convenient to recharge than his bipedal form.

"Rest well, everyone" he murmured to the others. Bumblebee whirred in acknowledgement and return.

"G'night Optimus" Sam murmured sleepily; the pills were really beginning to kick in. "Love you, 'Bee."

"Always knew you were going to leave me for him" Mikaela teased. Bumblebee clicked in amusement.

"Love you too" Sam murmured, tightening his hold on Mikaela, already half asleep. Mikaela chuckled softly.

"_Sweet dreams_" Bumblebee murmured from his radio softly as Sam shifted into a light sleeping pattern, Mikaela not far behind. Cycling his vents contentedly, Bumblebee powered down gratefully. All was well.

_My first Transformer fic. I'm a big fan of the movies and went to see Revenge of the Fallen twice, it was great. This was intended to be a kinda funny, kinda sad, kinda sweet....thing. I dunno, it was just a plot bunny exorcised. I'm thinking of doing another one when they pick up that annoying bureaucrat Galloway and let them loose on him, what d'you reckon? Please review and let me know what you thought. _


End file.
